Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Review

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Essentials

Are you a frequent Delta flyer looking to rack up some extra SkyMiles® and earn rewards flights more quickly? For a limited time, new Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card members can earn up to 70,000 bonus miles! Spend $2,000 in the first three months to earn 60,000 miles and earn another 10,000 miles after your first cardholder anniversary (offer ends 4/1/2020). On an ongoing basis, earn two miles for every $1 spent with Delta, at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets, and one mile for every $1 spent on all other eligible purchases. The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card can certainly help you get where you're going if you're Delta-loyal. American Express is a CardRatings advertiser.

With no foreign transaction fees, your first bag checked for free on Delta flights and discounts in the form of statement credit for your in-flight purchases of food, beverages and audio headsets, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card puts more money into your pocket, making it a smart choice for frequent travelers. All this for a reasonable $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99. (See Rates and Fees).

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card's best features:

• Earn up to 70,000 bonus miles – earn 60,000 after spending $2,000 in the first three months and earn another 10,000 after your first cardholder anniversary (offer expires 4/1/2020)
• First bag checked for free on Delta flights.
• No foreign transaction fees (See Rates and Fees)
• Baggage insurance plans
• Car rental loss and damage insurance.
• Purchase protection.

What Our Editors Like Most about the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

A welcome offer is almost always a nice perk, but when said bonus can quickly be turned into a free flight, that’s something that really gets our attention. 

Depending on travel location and dates, Delta offers domestic, round-trip plane tickets for as low as 20,000 SkyMiles®, meaning, if you plan it right, you can snag yourself a couple of reward tickets just with the welcome offer from the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card.

Other ways the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card helps cardholders save is by providing its members with one free checked bag on Delta flights and by offering discounts on eligible in-flight purchases – two small perks that could add up big for those who travel often.

Additionally, Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card cardholders receive priority boarding, which helps to save its members time, and we all know time is money. Plus, who likes to fight for overhead bin space? 

Lastly, as travel hiccups are bound to happen, we’ve come to love the protection perks that come along with being a Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card member. With its available insurance plans, when using your card to pay for your travel expenses, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card can help to cover the cost of eligible lost, damaged or stolen baggage, as well as help cover any expenses you may incur if your car rental is damaged or stolen.

Potential Downsides of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

Though a good base level credit card, some of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card perks seem a bit sub-par when compared to other American Express Delta Airlines credit cards. The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and the CardName, for example, both include bonus opportunities to rack up status miles with the airline, a valuable feature for frequent travelers.

If you are truly Delta-loyal, you may find that the perks and features of one of the higher tier cards make them well worth the additional annual fees (See Rates and Fees for the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card; See Rates and Fees for the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card).

How the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Compares to Other Travel Rewards Credit Cards

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Though the 60,000 points you receive for spending $4,000 in the first three months with Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card are a nice perk, the spending threshold is more than what the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card requires. Even with the high spending requirement, 60,000 points is a still a great bonus and it's worth as much as $750 in travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Plus, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card cardholders earn two times the points on all their restaurant and travel purchases, in addition to one point on all other purchases, so your spending habits might mean you're able to earn points more quickly with the Chase card.

Furthermore, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card points can be redeemed through a number of different airlines, providing its users with more scheduling flexibility than Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card cardholders enjoy.

The difference here really comes down to the difference between a general rewards card with a travel-reward option (Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card) and an airline-miles focused card (Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card).

Who Should Get This Card?

Thanks to its great welcome offer, no foreign transaction fees and other travel perks such as free checked baggage and priority boarding, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is solid option for frequent travelers loyal to the Delta brand, particularly right now while the welcome bonus opportunity is so high (remember, the current offer ends 4/1/2020).

To see the rates and fees for American Express cards mentioned in this article, please see the following links: Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card (See Rates and Fees); Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (See Rates and Fees); Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (See Rates and Fees)